Tag Archives: Earthy

All You Need Is Love, Arran, Summertime

Arran Machrie Moor Peated Malt Whisky (plus a way to win a full bottle for yourself)

Islands Region – 46%ABV – £39 (soon to be released in the US this March, 2011) – Limited to 9,000 bottles for this first release.

I’m going to skip some of the preamble today as I think the most important parts of today’s post is the review (of course) and the details of an exclusive giveaway below!

Special thanks to Andy Hogan for the sample and for working with the JSMWS on this great giveaway!

While I did say I’d be bypassing some of the preamble, that still does imply that there will be a little of it for you to read.  Just what is the story behind Arran’s naming of the Machrie Moor??   Here’s what they tell us:

“On the west coast of the Isle of Arran lies a windswept and mystical peat bog called Machrie Moor. Bronze Age stone circles and standing stones are strewn across its barren, undulating terrain. One of the stone circles is known as Fingal’s Cauldron Seat, where sits a stone with a carved hole. The legendary warrior giant Fingal is said to have tethered his favourite dog Bran to this stone. This peated expression of the Arran Single Malt perfectly captures the rugged beauty and lore of the landscape. Unleash the legend that is Machrie Moor.“

Well, roar (or, woof)!!  Let’s try this stuff:

On the nose — Salted & sooty chimney pipe (chim-chimney-chim-chimney-chim-chim-ka-booze).

Root-like vegetables and very grassy.

Perhaps even a little salted fudge – YUM!

After a minute of so, the peat is not as sooty.  Rather, it’s adding a really nice earthy tone to the whisky – sort of like a brackish stream snaking it’s way through a field of wild-flowers.

Additional notes range from lemon zest to shortbread dough (unbaked).

Very salty/coastal nose.

On the mouth — Oh yeah – just the right amount of peat gives a great brush-fire flavor in the mouth.

Baked apples, even apple-sauce.

I can’t shake the feeling of campfire/brushfire out of my head as I sip this.

Very comforting and bringing me to my childhood happy place.

Lemons galore – lemon marmalade and cream custard.

Salted and a touch peppery (just a touch).

Chewy mouthfeel and, as we get into the finish…

Finish — There’s a superb butteriness here, salted butter that creeps up and does not wish to leave you.

Added to that are hints of apricot, warmed margarine and bread.

In sum — I don’t often talk about color or how the whisky looks in the glass (E.G. legs) but I have to say, the legs on this whisky are gorgeous!  A wonder to look at.  For me, I encounter the same wonderment when watching a Guinness form it’s head – that beautiful head!

This whisky has legs and knows how to use them.

A thoroughly enjoyable treat.  Very salty stuff!  I’d imagine chocolates would go wonderfully with this whisky giving you that salty/sweet goodness many of us seek out.

Peated to a level of 14ppm, the folks at Arran knew what they were doing!!  Enough peat to add some dimension to the whisky, enough to give the peat/smoke-heads something to get excited about yet not so much so as to overpower all of the natural beauties of Arran Malt whisky (Apples, butter, lemons & a superb saltiness).  A nice late summer, near dusk type dram.

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The fun part – a way for you to win a full bottle of the new Arran Machrie Moor and signed by the Master Distiller – James McTaggart!! –

Yes, thats right.  We here at the JSMWS worked closely with Arran and they were kind enough to partner up with us on a very exclusive giveaway.  A full bottle of Arran Machrie Moor peated whisky signed by none other than James McTaggart, Arran’s Distillery Manager!!

“How do I win a bottle!?” you ask.

“Easy.” says all of us at The Jewish Single Malt Whisky Society.

We’re looking to reach 1100 followers on our Facebook page.

If you’re already a fan, cool.  You’re currently in the running.

If you’re not yet a fan, click here to join and get in the running.

Do you know someone who loves whisky?  Ask them to join The Jewish Single Malt Whisky Society Facebook page.

The quicker we get to 1313 people, the closer we’ll be to announcing, perhaps you, as our winner of this great whisky.  The lucky person will be picked at random and named on the Facebook page.

Welcome to the Facebook group and good luck!!

Cold Winter, Connemara, Need To Bundle Up

Connemara Turf Mor – Peated & Cask Strength Irish whiskey

Ireland – 58%ABV – $80 | £51 | €60 – soon to be released – 20,000 bottles total

A short time back I was asked by the good folks at Cooley Distillery (currently, the only independent AND Irish owned distillery in operation in Ireland) if I was interested in trying a whisky that was yet to be released and if I’d post my thoughts on it.

My initial thought upon seeing this email from them was, to quote Jeffery “The Dude” Lebowski, “Does the pope shit in the woods!?”

For those who’ve not yet seen The Big Lebowski — go and rent it ASAP!!  Or, watch this summation (a word to the wise – there are a few cuss words in this video…):

OK, back to the matter at hand – peated Irish whiskey.  So, what’s it like?  You’ll see below.  I’ve reviewed their standard Peated Cask Strength whiskey here.  Let’s see how this differs…

On the nose — Fishing rubbers, bouncy balls & rubber chickens… I think you get the idea – very rubbery.

Lemon peel & espresso.

Raw, uncooked rhubarb.

A wee bit of soy sauce.

On the mouth — Peaty yet not a smoke-bomb; earthy yet sweet; wet stones & flint yet grassy.

Immensely fruity — think citrus and over-tart purple plums (more tart, less plum).

All the bite you get in pickled ginger without the ginger.

Wicked mouthfeel – all of these flavors make your mouth water something fierce making the experience a nice creamy one.

Finish — Almond paste with the most minor hint of vanilla.  Tannic, hot and pretty lengthy.

In sum — I’m not going to lie — this whisky is not for everyone.  However, if you like the more medicinal/peaty/earthy whiskies – this will please you.  It’s a powerful whisky for sure – one for the colder season (smart of Cooley Distillery to release it in December).

Autumn, Kavalan, Springtime, Takin' It Easy

Kavalan Single Malt Whisky – Concertmaster – Port Finish

Taiwan – 40%ABV – 200ml sample (thanks to Ian Chang of Kavalan for the sample)

For the next three days, Gal of Whisky Israel and I will be sharing our thoughts on the Kavalan range.  While I’m not tasting these whiskies blindly, Gal and I will not be sharing our thoughts on these whiskies prior to our posting them.  Be sure to check out Gal’s notes on this whisky (a link to Gal’s review is listed below my notes).

Before I got into whiskies, I was a true lover of port and madeira wines.  The fruity spice of port and the earthiness of madeira turned me on like a light bulb.

Being a portaphile – I just made this word up and would hate to utter it aloud as port-a-phile sounds like something else entirely…

Ok, moving on.  Loving port & madeira like I do, I often find myself seeking out whiskies which are finished in these types of casks (such as the Balvenie 17yr Madeira Cask or the Angel’s Envy Bourbon).  When I opened up my sample package from Mr. Chang, I was excited to see a port finished whisky from Kavalan.

So, let’s dig in.  Can you dig?

On the nose – Lightly spiced with wafts of mangos.

Spices come back – cinnamon & nutmeg.

Fresh pears and over ripe pineapples.

A youthful nose with some hints of mushrooms and soured milk – earthy.

Pencil shavings.

On the mouth – Hits you hard with loads of spice.

Lightly sweet – watered down pear juice.

Good mouth feel but the flavors are a bit elusive.

Buttered rye bread.

A touch of honey.

Oh, actually, there’s a lot of honey here.

Finish – Wheat biscuits, side of honey and butter, shortish.

In sum – An enjoyable nose on this whisky.  The fruitiness was a welcome thing.  I was a bit let down by the flavor side of this – a touch off balance (or maybe I’m a bit off balance here!) from the nose and, quite honestly, I was hoping for a bit more from the flavor/palate.  The finish was quite nice just a bit too short.

Make sure you read Gal’s notes here.

A World of Discovery, All You Need Is Love, Angry, Ardbeg, Autumn, Cold Winter, Glenmorangie, Kosher Spirits (not for Passover), Need To Bundle Up, Refreshed, Springtime, Summertime, Takin' It Easy

Ⓤ… will not believe the great news that just came out of Moët Hennessy USA for Glenmorangie & Ardbeg

Breaking news!!! This just came across my desk here at The Jewish Single Malt Whisky Society HQ:

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Glenmorangie, Scotland’s Favorite Single Malt

Scotch Announces OU KOSHER CERTIFICATION

New York, June 08, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — The Glenmorangie Company and Moët Hennessy USA are proud to announce that Glenmorangie Original, Scotland’s favorite single malt Scotch whisky, has become kosher-certified by the Orthodox Union (OU), the world’s largest and most respected kosher certification agency. Additionally, its pioneering new expression, Glenmorangie Astar, has also become kosher-certified. Glenmorangie’s sister distillery, Ardbeg has also received OU Kosher certification for its Ardbeg 10yr old expression.

New packaging and promotional materials bearing the “OU” symbol will be distributed nationwide over the next few months.

“At Glenmorangie we take great pride in producing Scotland’s favorite single malt whisky, using the finest Scottish barley and hand selected American white oak casks of only the highest quality. The OU kosher certification will bring our iconic brand to an entirely new consumer base that can now enjoy our products,” Brian Cox, Glenmorangie U.S. Brand Director.

The Orthodox Union rigorously monitors all aspects of production. It supervises the process by which the whisky is created, examines the raw ingredients used to make Glenmorangie and regularly inspects the distilling and bottling facilities to make sure that its standards are met.

“We are very pleased to have Glenmorangie Single Malt Scotch Whisky become the first major single malt scotch brand to attain OU certification. It was also gratifying for OU to guide the Glenmorangie Company through the certification process and bring this famous single malt brand to the growing kosher market place,” remarked Rabbi Eliyahu Safran, OU Kosher Vice President of Communications and Marketing. “It was rewarding for OU Kosher’s team, headed by Rabbi Nachum Rabinowitz and Dr. Avraham Meyer, to collaborate with the Glenmorangie team to bring these renowned products to an ever-growing kosher market place.”

For further information, please e-mail David Blackmore, Glenmorangie U.S. Communications Manager, at glenmorangiepr@mme.net.

PRODUCT NOTES

Glenmorangie Original, is bottled at a strength of 43% ABV and chill-filtered, to enhance the smooth but complex flavors. It is aged for a minimum of ten years in superior quality American White Oak ex-bourbon barrels, made from forests carefully and sustainably managed for the Glenmorangie Company. These casks are filled with the Glenmorangie spirit, distilled to an unparalleled level of complexity, aroma and smoothness in the tallest copper-pot stills in all of Scotland. The result is a smooth yet complex malt whisky, revered and rewarded across the globe for generations. Glenmorangie Original consistently outscores its direct competition, scoring 94 points for the past 6 years in “The Whisky Bible”. Jim Murray, the author of the Whisky Bible and world renowned whisky expert describes Glenmorangie Original as “Complexity at its most complex.”

Glenmorangie Astar, is one of the newest expressions from the famed Glenmorangie Distillery, and is the first whisky in the world to be matured in ‘designer casks’ sourced from selected, air seasoned, slow-growth American white oak.

The creation of Astar began in 1985 and is the brainchild of Dr. Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie’s Head of Distilling and Whisky Creation. The wood used to mature the whisky is carefully selected, slow-growth, fine-grained American white oak, found specifically in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. The wooden ‘staves’ crafted from the oak is left in the open air to season for at least 24 months. This long wait, coupled with the wood’s inherent porosity, allows the white oak wood to breath and soften, adding the first elements of flavor that will contribute to the final spirit. The staves are ‘coopered’ into oak casks and toasted to contribute further flavors of almond and coconut. The casks are then filled with Tennessee whiskey and set aside to mature for four years, smoothing out any rawness in the wood, and at the same time releasing luscious undertones of vanilla.

These ‘designer casks’ are then ready to be emptied and shipped to the Glenmorangie Distillery in Tain, to be filled with Glenmorangie’s renowned, delicate and complex spirit, uniquely derived from Scotland’s tallest stills. The casks are finally laid down for many years in dark, cool, earth-floored warehouses for a long, slow maturation. Glenmorangie Astar is bottled at 114.2 proof, 57.1% ABV which represents the whisky in its most natural form, and allows the drinker to explore the fullest spectrum of aroma, texture and flavors.

Dr. Bill Lumsden comments:
“At Glenmorangie we are particular. We believe up to 60% of the flavor of the whisky comes from the wood and our quest for the very best wood is unparalleled. It is difficult to sum up years of passion and commitment! But I would describe Glenmorangie Astar as everything a single malt should be – it is the result of an incredible journey: the pursuit of perfection.”

ABOUT GLENMORANGIE

Glenmorangie originates in the Scottish Highlands where, at the Glenmorangie Distillery, it is distilled in the tallest malt whisky stills in Scotland, expertly matured in the finest oak casks, and perfected by the 16 Men of Tain. The distillery was founded in 1843 and is renowned as a pioneer in its fields, uniting tradition with innovation. Most recently, at the 2010 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Glenmorangie was awarded the prestigious title of ‘Distillery of the Year’.

Today, the company is one of the most renowned and innovative distillers and marketers of Scotch whisky brands worldwide and is part of Moët Hennessy, the wine and spirits division of Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH). Headquartered near Edinburgh, Scotland, the company produces two main single malt brands – Glenmorangie Single Highland Malt Whisky and Ardbeg Single Islay Malt.

ABOUT THE ORTHODOX UNION

The Orthodox Union, now in its second century of service to the Jewish community of North America and beyond, represents the fastest growing segment in Jewish life. The OU is a world leader in community and synagogue services, adult education, youth work through NCSY, political action through the IPA (Institute of Public Affairs), and advocacy for persons with disabilities through Yachad and Our Way. Its kosher certification label, the OU, is the world’s most recognized kosher symbol and can be found on over 400,000 products manufactured in 80 countries around the globe.

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Great news, right!?  How very smart of The Glenmorangie Company and Moët Hennessy USA to move forward with certifying these three great, staple Scotch whisky products.

I have come up with a couple of new logos which both Ardbeg and Glenmorangie are free to use (no royalty payments required!):

A World of Discovery, Field Trip!, Springtime, Summertime, Takin' It Easy, Tuthilltown

Field Trip to Tuthilltown Distillery plus two Hudson Whiskey tastings

Tuthilltown Distillery, Gardiner NY – Tour, store & tasting room

Tutilltown Distillery sits quite nicely in the woody woods in beautiful upstate New York.  Tuthilltown, makers of “Hudson Real American Whiskeys”, is a small place with a dirt driveway and parking lot, port-o-potty bathroom sitting outside the tasting room (quite far away mind you) and has two cats and a dog wandering the property.  Don’t let this description scare you away – pulling up, you sort of feel like your at a home away from home.  There’s an inviting feel to it somehow.

Then, as you walk into the store/tasting room, you get the sweet smell of maturing bourbon and a really, really nice view of their barrel stock:

After getting-a-lo to all of these beautiful barrels (most of which were quite small, some at only 3 gallons!) I met with a very nice woman by the name of Luz.  She’s in charge of the store and provided some great conversation as I waited for the tour guide to arrive.

When the guide was ready, Luz walked me over to the actual distilling building where I then met with a tall hipster-type dude by the name of Liam.  Before I go on, I will tell you that this is the first distillery tour I have ever been on and I did not know what to expect.  I can tell you, throughout the whole experienced I was a wide eyed boy in a candy store!  Actually, it felt more like I was Charlie visiting Wonka’s Chocolate Factory (sans the Oompa-Loopmas, Gene Wilder and Slugworth).

Liam took me through the entire distilling process, room through room (which is nearly the same for their bourbons, rye, single malt & vodkas).  I will not go into tremendous detail here but I will say what surprised me the most was how very hands-on the whole process is.  Liam (and the other distillers) have their fancy-fingers on everything and you can tell that it is a true labor of love for them and, as you’ll see in my tasting notes below, this love and care shines through to the end product.

I was quite wowed by their two stills (at least one of which was imported from Germany and was originally used for making Lambic beers).

Also, as you’ll notice below on their cute little 375ml bottles, they have a very thick coating of wax keeping the cork in place.  Before I got to the distillery, I pictured a long conveyor belt with robotic arms grabbing bottles, 8 at a time, robotically corking and dipping the bottles to then place on another conveyor belt to bring the hot-waxy bottles to a cooling area, etc…

Instead, this is what I saw:

All four bottles are placed, by hand, onto the dipping posts (I totally made up that term, dipping posts – Tuthilltown folks, feel free to used that nomenclature for this dipping apparatus) then dipped, again by hand, into the wax.  The bottles are then labeled (you guessed, by hand – using a hand-cranked labeler).

Liam – thank you for your tour!  Very informative, very cool.

Ok, onto my tasting during the tour:

I met with a guy, I’m guessing about my age, by the name of Gable.  His father is one of the fine, smart, folks who opened this distillery.  Which, by the way, is the first legally operated distillery in New York State since Prohibition!!  Also, their bourbon is the first bourbon to *ever* be produced legally in New York State.  Like I said, smart folks – very innovative!

Gable is one of these super-charming and disarming type guys.  A charismatic dude who knows his business quite well.  Gable went on to provide a tasting of their current line (at least the ones they could legally taste/sell in their tasting room/store):  Hudson New York Corn Whiskey, Hudson Baby Bourbon, Hudson Four Grain Bourbon, Hudson Manhattan Rye, Heart of the Hudson Apple Vodka (twice distilled), Spirit of the Hudson Apple Vodka (thrice distilled).

Their Vodkas, by the way, are Kosher for Passover as they are distilled from apples, not grain — Cheers on that!!

While I wont be giving notes on all the spirits tasted, I can provide notes for the two bourbons I went home with (what, you thought I could leave empty handed??  I had to buy me some booze!).

Before I go on with the notes allow me to say that these whiskeys only come in 375ml bottles and cost $41 per bottle.  This being said, the fluid contained within the bottles are worth their weight in whiskey!  This is hand-crafted artisan American Whiskey.  Quite unique and very special stuff.

Hudson Four Grain Bourbon

On the nose — One thing I truly love about the Tuthilltown/Hudson Whiskeys is that the smells and tastes are very direct.  When I say I smell “Corn”, it’s like it’s fresh off the cob.  Just under the corn is the very clear smell of fresh dirt/earth (as if someone was holding a handful directly under my nose).  I’m also smelling burnt sugar and honeysuckle, blueberry (very subtle, the only subtle smell here) and vanilla.  Gobs of vanilla.

On the mouth — Oh sweet fancy Moses!  The flavors basically started a mosh-pit in my mouth (it’s like there’s a Dead Kennedys show, circa 1984, right on my tongue). The attack is great, fierce yet quite welcome.  This is a strong, burly bourbon which is filled with a mouth puckering sweetness a la sweet corn, cinnamon, Orange Tang Powder, the taste of the smell of clove cigarettes, oak and quite some vanilla again.

Finish — Long, peppery and biting.  I want more (why do these only come in 375ml bottles!?).  More corn.  Candied corn (NOT Candy-Corn if you catch my meaning) actually; that and some nice citrus, then finally more fresh dirt/earth.

Hudson Baby Bourbon

On the nose — Movie popcorn with butter, vanilla & burnt sugar (again), no fresh earth smell here, rather, it’s replaced by a slightly soap citrus notes, Red Wax Lips.

On the mouth — Fresh & warmed buttered corn on the cob.  Again, Tuthilltown delivers with their very direct flavors – yum!  I feel like I am on a picnic right now.  Banana peel & vanilla cream, the citrus returns.

Finish — During my tasting with Gable I noticed an odd note in the palate of their Manhattan Rye expression.  A note that I detected in the finish of this Baby Bourbon – Jujubes!

Specifically the orange ones before Heide Candies changed their recipe (back in the late 90’s early 2000’s) – quite soapy and very orangey.

Love it!!  That’s the final note on the finish.  Before I got that I noted some warming caramel, vanilla and oak.

In sum — This was a great introduction to the whole process.  While I spent the last three years educating myself in the tasting of whisk(e)y, I just now got a nice crash-course in the whisk(e)y creation process.  One I will never forget.  If I were you, I would seek out Tuthilltown’s Hudson Whiskeys.  A true American Treat.

If you ever find yourself in New York State, seek this distillery out .  They provide tours on weekends and their store is open from 11am – 5pm.  For more information on Tuthilltown and their whiskeys, check it here.